Gas holder



Au .11,193s. W.G.LAIRD 2,050,707

' GAS HOLDER Filed Jan. 12, 1953 30 Z8 11v VENTOR A TTORNEY ass. uoanaaWilbur G, Laird, Pleasantvilie, N. Y to Doherty Research Comp; New York,N. Y.,- a corporation of Delaware Application .lanuary 12, 1933, SerialNo. 651,275

' '2 Claims. (oi. 48-176) This invention relates to gas holders, andmore particularly to an improvement in gas holders of the water-sealedtype. The invention is an improvement on the gas holders described in my0'. 8. Patent No.-1,894,536, granted January 17th,

' lower edge of the lift. As gas is introduced into and withdrawn frombelow the inverted bell of the water-sealed holder, the bell rlses andfalls correspondingly and is supported by the gas pressure within theholder.

In my aforementioned prior patent, I have disclosed a single liftwater-sealed gas holder, the bell of which is equipped with flexibleguide cables mounted inside the holder which function to constrain thebell against both rotation and tipping during its movement up and downinside the surrounding tank or shell.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide an improvedarrangement of flexible guide cables adapted to constrain the bells ofwater-sealed gas holders from tipping from a horizontal plane.

Another object of the invention is to provide cable guiding means forgas holders of the watersealed type that is simple and inexpensive toinstall, easy to keep in proper adjustment and repair, and whollyprotected from climatic conditions involving atmospheric oxidation andcorrosive reactions. I

with these and other objects and featuresin view, the invention consistsin the improved gas holder construction hereinafter described andparticularly defined in the accompanying claims.

The various features of the invention are illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in vertical section of a single lift water-sealed gasholder embodying the prev ferred cable guiding mechanism of theinvention; and Fig. 2 is 'a plan view, with parts broken away, showingthe gas holder illustrated in Fig. 1.

In the gas holder illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the inverted bell lift24 moves vertically up and down in the surrounding roofless tank 28. Gasis introduced under thelift as through a pipe 23, and may be removedthrough a pipe 8%. lbs bottom of the lift is sealed eat the escape ofgas from beneath the same by a body of water maintained in the tank 26,the level of the water being indicated by the dot-dash line 32. As thegas moves into and out of the space under the inverted bell 2d, the bellrises and falls,'the weight of the bell being supported'by the body ofthe gas thereunder. Spacing rollers 36 mounted on the inner rim of tank2B between the tank and the bell serve to hold the outer periphery ofthe bell in properly spaced relation to the inner periphery of the tang.

An important feature of the present invention consists in thearrangement of internal guide cables for constraining the bell fromtipping from a horizontal plane during its upward and downward movementin the shell. In the drawing, the bell is shown as equipped-with twopairs of guide cables, for the purpose of illustration. Inl'argeholders, however, a larger number of pairs of guide cables will normallybe used to provide the means for constraining the movement of the bellto a fixed vertical path, and to prevent it from becoming tipped orwedged within the shell.

Each pair of cables is mounted in the holder in the same manner so thatthe description of the mounting and operation of one pair of cables onlywill be included herein.

- The inverted bell ofFlg. 1 is shown equipped with a cambered roofadapted to withstand pressures of gas stored below the bell. At the timethat the bell moves down to the bottom of the surrounding shell or tank28, it is preferred to support the bell upon a frame 38 which has acambered upper surface adapted to coincide in contour with the cambere'dupper surface of the hell 2%; By means of the frame at the bell issupported over substantially its entire area, and is thereby protectedagainst damage or collapse at the time it is lowered to the bottom ofthe holder.

One flexible guide cable 38 is attached by means of an eye-bolt 40 tothe bottom edge of the bell, and passed upwardly in a vertical path andover a guide pulley or sheave 62 secured to the upper edge of theroof-supporting frame 88. From the sheave 42 the cable 38 extendsdiametrically across the shell and under the sheave 46. mounted on theopposite periphery of frame 88. From the sheave N the cable 38 extendsupward vertically and is secured to a tension bolt 48 mounted on theouter periphery ofthe roof of hell 2%. dpring it is held undercompression-by the bolt it to hoidthe cable at in taut position undernormal strains imposed thereon. V

The other cable tit of the pair shown in Fig. i

is secured to an eye-bolt 52 mounted on the lower inner rim of the bell24 in a position diametrically opposite the bolt- 40. From bolt II thecable passes upwardly over a sheave M which may be loosely iournaled onthe same shaft as sheave 44:

thence diametrically across the tank and under a sheave 56 which may beloosely journaled on the same shaft as sheave 42; thence upwardly in avertical path and secured to a tension bolt ll mounted on the lower edgeof the roof of bell 24 diametrically opposite the position of bolt 48. Acompression spring 60 is mounted on the bolt It to hold the cable 50 intaut position. It will be understood that the bell supporting frame 38functions in the guiding mechanism as an integral part of the floor oftank 28.

As shown in the drawing, the guide cables are preferably mounted inpairs within the shell and move in substantially parallel paths. As thebell 24 moves upwardly and downwardly, each guide cable of a pair movesin a-directlon olllmite to that taken by the other guide cable of thepair. As these cables move in opposite directions. they tend toconstrain the bell to a definite vertical path of movement parallel tothe inner wall of the surrounding shell or tank, and if the lower edgeof the bell is horizontal to begin with, this position will bemaintained as the bell moves upparent that a gas holder of much lighterand cheaper construction for a given capacity, and more pleasingappearance, is afforded as compared to other types of holders availableat present. The holder does not need to be as high as other known typesof holders, because no guide frame-is necessary.

It is not necessary that the guide cables be disposed in pairs or thatthe cables be positioned adjacent the circumferential edge of the bell,

prising a plurality of flexible cables, each cable although this is thepreferred construction. It is necessary that at least three guide cablesbe operatively connected at horizontally spaced points to the bell, inorder that the bell movement may be constrained to a vertical path. 5

With the above described apparatus the guide cables are housed entirelywithin the tank and lift and are thus protected from atmosphericoxidation, rain, snow, the sun and other conditions which tend tocorrode and interfere with the proper operation of the holder mechanism.

The preferred form of the invention having been thus described, what isclaimed as new is:

1. In gas holder, a tank arranged to provide a body 0 sealing liquid, aninverted bell movably mounted in the tank with its side walls dippinginto the sealing liquid so as to trap gas within the bell above thesealing liquid, a bell supporting frame secured to the floor of the tankand adapted to'support the bell against collapse when resting upon thefloor, and guide means for the bell comprising a plurality of flexiblecables each guidably connected to the bell at horizontally spaced pointsaround its periphery, .each guide cable having its ends securedrespectively to the 25 upper and lower edges of the bell at saidhorizontally spaced points thereon, and being movable intermediate itsends over pulleys mounted respectively on the bell supporting frameelement of the tank at points vertically aligned with the nearest pointof guidable connection of the cab to the bell.

2. In a gas holder, a tank arranged to provide a-body of sealing liquid,an inverted gas storage P bell movably mounted in the tank, a bellsupporting frame attached to the floor of the tank, a

plurality of pulleys mounted at horizontally spaced points adjacent theperiphery of the supporting frame, and guide means for the bell com-'being secured atits ends to the'top and bottom respectively of the bellat points vertically aligned with the nearest pulley on the frame, and'having its intermediateportion. movably engaging two of the pulleysnearest the ends of the cable. r

7 WlLBUR G. IAIRD.

